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"I Need a New PC!" 2015 Part 1. Read the OP and RISE ABOVE FORGED PRECISION SCIENCE

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RGM79

Member
Jsut came across this set of 16 GB RAM which qualifies for an extra %15 off ($110 end price):

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820313325

Any reason why I shouldn't get it with a standard coolermaster cooler in a Haswell Z97 motherboard?
It's a good price. The only downside is the large headspreader being extremely tall, which won't fit under something like the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo.
DSC07723.jpg

Ideally, you should be able to install the RAM modules in these slots (marked "2GB" as an example) for dual channel mode and it shouldn't interfere with the cooler's fan.
dualwith2.jpg
 

lordy88

Member
It's a good price. The only downside is the large headspreader being extremely tall, which won't fit under something like the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo.


Ideally, you should be able to install the RAM modules in these slots (marked "2GB" as an example) for dual channel mode and it shouldn't interfere with the cooler's fan.
dualwith2.jpg

Thanks RGM! So even if I have a Hyper 212 EVO, I'd be fine slotting the ram in the 2GB slots, correct?
 

RGM79

Member
Anyone else running GTX 970 / 980s in SLi

my top card temps are getting around 72-76 degrees under load, wondering if this is normal
What is the second card's temperature at load? At load, 75 degrees isn't horribly high or dangerous. I looked at the photo you posted about 5 days back, looks like the top card should have enough room for air circulation.

Two different reviews (HardOCP / Tech Report) of the MSI GTX 970 measured the graphics card at 68-69 degrees on load.
 

Iacobellis

Junior Member
What overclocks are you guys getting with the MSI 970 (non-Golden Edition)? I'm able to manage around +200 on the core and +450 on memory in Afterburner before seeing artifacts in Unigine Heaven and Valley.

Would I be able to go higher if I unlock the voltage control?
 

Archaonlotr

Neo Member
What is the second card's temperature at load? At load, 75 degrees isn't horribly high or dangerous. I looked at the photo you posted about 5 days back, looks like the top card should have enough room for air circulation.

Two different reviews (HardOCP / Tech Report) of the MSI GTX 970 measured the graphics card at 68-69 degrees on load.

The second card usually always runs 60-64 - 10 degrees under

i forgot to mention they both are running at 1500/7900 OC, i guess its not to bad at those temps, i couldnt find any info on the max they could go before getting in the red
 

Archaonlotr

Neo Member
What overclocks are you guys getting with the MSI 970 (non-Golden Edition)? I'm able to manage around +200 on the core and +450 on memory in Afterburner before seeing artifacts in Unigine Heaven and Valley.

Would I be able to go higher if I unlock the voltage control?

Hi Lacobellis

I found even with voltage unlocked - the small increase wont get you much more on the Mhz, just increase until you start getting artifacts on benchmarks / then try with voltage unlock at max

I found after hitting +205Mhz on my SLi GTX 970 setup - regardless of Voltage increase, i couldnt get any further
 

RGM79

Member
The second card usually always runs 60-64 - 10 degrees under

i forgot to mention they both are running at 1500/7900 OC, i guess its not to bad at those temps, i couldnt find any info on the max they could go before getting in the red

Overclocked? Then those temperatures are completely fine and to be expected. I fixed the Tech Report link.
 

Archaonlotr

Neo Member
Overclocked? Then those temperatures are completely fine and to be expected. I fixed the Tech Report link.

Yeah i thought about the overclock, but its weird now, even at stock, the top card still hits 70-74 degrees, the OC doesnt seem to do much to the card

note ive been able to get a +205Mhz OC without any voltage adjustments
 

Iacobellis

Junior Member
Hi Lacobellis

I found even with voltage unlocked - the small increase wont get you much more on the Mhz, just increase until you start getting artifacts on benchmarks / then try with voltage unlock at max

I found after hitting +205Mhz on my SLi GTX 970 setup - regardless of Voltage increase, i couldnt get any further

So is this the norm for the MSI cards? I know every card is different but I remember reading about increases of about 10FPS in certain games and this overclock is netting me about five in certain areas.

EDIT: Was able to bump the core clock to +205 (very small, I know) but kept the memory clock at +450.
 

Archaonlotr

Neo Member
So is this the norm for the MSI cards? I know every card is different but I remember reading about increases of about 10FPS in certain games and this overclock is netting me about five in certain areas.

Give 3D Mark 2013 firestrike a run - you should be getting around 16,500- 17,500 at your OC

What CPU are you using, this is also a factor in your performance
 
I've been using my current mouse, a Logitech G500, for about four and a half years now, and it's on its last legs. Can anyone recommend me something similar that has a better scroll wheel and maybe something to rest the pinky on? I'm right handed and have small hands, but my pinky is often uncomfortably close to the surface I use the mouse on. I use more of a palm grip than a claw generally. I do like the positioning of the G500's thumb buttons quite a bit, as well as the "hyperscroll" button. A cable that isn't braided like the G500's would be nice. Thanks.
 
I plan on ugrading from a single 780 to a set of 970s SLI.

My motherboard, MSI Z87-G45, has 3 PCI express slots (16,0,0) (8,8,0) (8,4,4), would looking at benchmark of a game for 970 SLI be indicative of what I might experience? Or would my performance be worse because of the PCI express slot speeds in SLI? I also have a stock i5 4670k, but I might buy a heatsink and finally overclock if the performance is significantly different because of bottlenecking and all.
 

RGM79

Member
I plan on ugrading from a single 780 to a set of 970s SLI.

My motherboard, MSI Z87-G45, has 3 PCI express slots (16,0,0) (8,8,0) (8,4,4), would looking at benchmark of a game for 970 SLI be indicative of what I might experience? Or would my performance be worse because of the PCI express slot speeds in SLI? I also have a stock i5 4670k, but I might buy a heatsink and finally overclock if the performance is significantly different because of bottlenecking and all.

You don't have to worry about PCI-E bandwidth bottlenecking the performance of dual GTX 970s. On the GTX 980, PCI-E 3.0 x8 doesn't even make a dent in performance. Therefore, running two GTX 970 cards in SLI on x8/x8 shouldn't be any different than running them in x16/x16.

Depending on the games you play, overclocking the processor can make a difference. The GTX 4670K is just slightly behind the current 4690K, benchmarks should be fairly relevant.
 
You don't have to worry about PCI-E bandwidth bottlenecking the performance of dual GTX 970s. On the GTX 980, PCI-E 3.0 x8 doesn't even make a dent in performance. Therefore, running two GTX 970 cards in SLI on x8/x8 shouldn't be any different than running them in x16/x16.

Depending on the games you play, overclocking the processor can make a difference. The GTX 4670K is just slightly behind the current 4690K, benchmarks should be fairly relevant.

Thanks.

I'll most likely overclock my CPU lightly since I really don't want to stress test for hours and deal with high voltages and temperatures.
 
Recommendation for a cheap, low power / energy efficient NAS configuration (FreeNAS based)?

I would go for a CM 120 Elite case (if there's something better in that price range, feel free to point it out :) )

Intel or AMD?
what PSU?

Any advice is welcome.
 

RGM79

Member
Recommendation for a cheap, low power / energy efficient NAS configuration (FreeNAS based)?

I would go for a CM 120 Elite case (if there's something better in that price range, feel free to point it out :) )

Intel or AMD?
what PSU?

Any advice is welcome.

What's your budget? How many hard drives will you need it to hold? Is power consumption an issue? Do you want ECC RAM? This page makes a good argument for Intel-based systems if you're running FreeNAS. As for the power supply, is low noise/sound a factor? Willing to spend a bit more for modular cables?
 

Ce-Lin

Member
is a 4790K + Maximus Hero VII + 16 GB 1866 CL9 DD3 RAM + GTX 970 future proof ? is it worth investing on a CPU with more cores and DDR4 ? This will be used for gaming mainly and secondly for some casual video editing / encoding.
 

RGM79

Member
is a 4790K + Maximus Hero VII + 16 GB 1866 CL9 DD3 RAM + GTX 970 future proof ? is it worth investing on a CPU with more cores and DDR4 ? This will be used for gaming mainly and secondly for some casual video editing / encoding.

Depends on what you mean by "future proof". It'll last you the next few years easily, at the very least, longer if you don't mind turning down settings.
 

Kezen

Banned
is a 4790K + Maximus Hero VII + 16 GB 1866 CL9 DD3 RAM + GTX 970 future proof ? is it worth investing on a CPU with more cores and DDR4 ? This will be used for gaming mainly and secondly for some casual video editing / encoding.

Depends on what you define by future proof. I think a 970 will last you this console generation but it will have to run games at lower settings in a few years.
 

Ce-Lin

Member
Depends on what you define by future proof. I think a 970 will last you this console generation but it will have to run games at lower settings in a few years.

I was thinking of going SLI when the single 970 starts failing to deliver 1080p/60fps, my main concern is the 4970K + DDR3, looking at titles such as AC Unity and how CPU intensive it is I wonder if the 4970K would be enough or a CPU with more cores / DDR4 would be wiser.
 

Kezen

Banned
I was thinking of going SLI when the single 970 starts failing to deliver 1080p/60fps, my main concern is the 4970K + DDR3, looking at titles such as AC Unity and how CPU intensive it is I wonder if the 4970K would be enough or a CPU with more cores / DDR4 would be wiser.
With DX12 on the horizon I don't think you have anything to worry about regarding your CPU.
 

Sickbean

Member
Can anyone comment who's moved from the 360 controller to the DS4 as their only controller?

I have my PC connected to my TV so try to do as much as possible with just the controller. After some initial fiddling with drivers the wireless 360 controller has been great for years, but I do prefer the feel of Sony controllers.

How is the DS4 with PC/Steam? Good driver support? Will wireless work out of the box through Bluetooth?
 
Does anyone have an thoughts/incite on whether we'll be seeing video cards with 6 or even 8GB of VRAM in 2015? I plan on upgrading in the next 6-10 months, and I'm just seeing if I should be waiting for cards with a higher amount of VRAM to show up.
 
Can anyone comment who's moved from the 360 controller to the DS4 as their only controller?

I have my PC connected to my TV so try to do as much as possible with just the controller. After some initial fiddling with drivers the wireless 360 controller has been great for years, but I do prefer the feel of Sony controllers.

How is the DS4 with PC/Steam? Good driver support? Will wireless work out of the box through Bluetooth?

You'll be able to sync your DS4 to your PC via bluetooth, but it won't register as an X-Input device until you install DS4Windows. The DS4 is amazing with Windows using DS4Windows. Works perfectly with all X-Input supported games, and you can even use the touchpad as a mouse, which has come quite in handy for me, especially with older games where you need to navigate the menus or splashscreen with a mouse before playing. You can open Big Picture mode in Steam from the desktop by just holding the PS button as well. Nice stuff.

Heres' the official DS4Windows thread, from the creator:

http://forums.pcsx2.net/Thread-DS4Windows-Another-fork-another-thread

Great guide on how to install. It's very simple.
 
I'd like to make a low budget system to play recent games at lowish settings, certainly nothing at 1080p. I'd like to base the system around an expensive part that can be scored cheaply from Craigslist.

Budget: $300
Main Use: Gaming
TV Resolution: 1360x798 or 1280x720
Games: I'd like to play Alien isolation and Evil Within at low to medium settings, 30FPS is okay, and PhysX would be nice.
Will you be overclocking?: I'd rather not

Here's what I came up with:

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400 2.66Ghz Quad-Core $79.40
Arctic Cooling Alpine 11 Plus Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler $8.99
Gigabyte GA-G41MT-S2PT Micro ATX LGA775 Motherboard $69.62
Team Elite 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory $29.99
Hitachi Ultrastar 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive $48.00
Gigabyte GTX 460 1GB Video Card $40.00 (craigslist)
Rosewill FBM-01 MicroATX Mini Tower Case $23.99
XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply $27.99

Base Total: $357.58
Promo Discounts: -$10.00
Mail-in Rebates: -$25.00
Shipping: $5.40
Total: $327.98

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/QgFPhM

What's a better build for what I'm looking for?
 

kennah

Member
I'd like to make a low budget system to play recent games at lowish settings, certainly nothing at 1080p. I'd like to base the system around an expensive part that can be scored cheaply from Craigslist.

Budget: $300
Main Use: Gaming
TV Resolution: 1360x798 or 1280x720
Games: I'd like to play Alien isolation and Evil Within at low to medium settings, 30FPS is okay, and PhysX would be nice.
Will you be overclocking?: I'd rather not

Here's what I came up with:

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400 2.66Ghz Quad-Core $79.40
Arctic Cooling Alpine 11 Plus Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler $8.99
Gigabyte GA-G41MT-S2PT Micro ATX LGA775 Motherboard $69.62
Team Elite 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory $29.99
Hitachi Ultrastar 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive $48.00
Gigabyte GTX 460 1GB Video Card $40.00 (craigslist)
Rosewill FBM-01 MicroATX Mini Tower Case $23.99
XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply $27.99

Base Total: $357.58
Promo Discounts: -$10.00
Mail-in Rebates: -$25.00
Shipping: $5.40
Total: $327.98

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/QgFPhM

What's a better build for what I'm looking for?
That cpu is ridiculously old. You want an anniversary Pentium and b85 motherboard for the same money
 

kharma45

Member
I'd like to make a low budget system to play recent games at lowish settings, certainly nothing at 1080p. I'd like to base the system around an expensive part that can be scored cheaply from Craigslist.

Budget: $300
Main Use: Gaming
TV Resolution: 1360x798 or 1280x720
Games: I'd like to play Alien isolation and Evil Within at low to medium settings, 30FPS is okay, and PhysX would be nice.
Will you be overclocking?: I'd rather not

Here's what I came up with:

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400 2.66Ghz Quad-Core $79.40
Arctic Cooling Alpine 11 Plus Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler $8.99
Gigabyte GA-G41MT-S2PT Micro ATX LGA775 Motherboard $69.62
Team Elite 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory $29.99
Hitachi Ultrastar 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive $48.00
Gigabyte GTX 460 1GB Video Card $40.00 (craigslist)
Rosewill FBM-01 MicroATX Mini Tower Case $23.99
XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply $27.99

Base Total: $357.58
Promo Discounts: -$10.00
Mail-in Rebates: -$25.00
Shipping: $5.40
Total: $327.98

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/QgFPhM

What's a better build for what I'm looking for?

That cpu is ridiculously old. You want an anniversary Pentium and b85 motherboard for the same money

Agreed

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3250 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($58.64 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H81M-H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($42.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team Dark Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($57.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.85 @ OutletPC)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.98 @ OutletPC)
Power Supply: XFX TS 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($27.99 @ Newegg)
Other: GTX 460 ($40.00)
Total: $309.43
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-22 12:59 EST-0500

You could move to an i3 for $356.
 
That cpu is ridiculously old. You want an anniversary Pentium and b85 motherboard for the same money

Agreed

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3250 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($58.64 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H81M-H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($42.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team Dark Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($57.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.85 @ OutletPC)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.98 @ OutletPC)
Power Supply: XFX TS 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($27.99 @ Newegg)
Other: GTX 460 ($40.00)
Total: $309.43
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-22 12:59 EST-0500

You could move to an i3 for $356.

But newer games like Evil Within require 4 cores, and I think an anniversary pentium with 4 cores is going to be much more than $70
 

The Llama

Member
But newer games like Evil Within require 4 cores, and I think an anniversary pentium with 4 cores is going to be much more than $70
AFAIK there are only like 2 games which actually won't run on a dual core CPU, Far Cry 4 and some other ubisoft game I can't remember. And honestly if it'd your goal to play that stuff, just buy a PS4 or XB1.
 

kharma45

Member
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